GM shows new Silverado pickup at event in Texas

Chevrolet took the covers off of its 2019 Silverado mid-December in a surprise reveal at a Texas enthusiast-oriented event celebrating the company's 100 years building trucks. The Silverado sold more than 570,000 light-duty pickups in 2016 - and almost 800,000 when combined with its cousin, GMC Sierra. They did this by airlifting the pickup, a bright red Trail Boss edition, into the infield at the Texas Motor Speedway.

The truck was helicoptered into the speedway with General Motors president for North America Alan Batey on hand for the show. And for now two years, Chevrolet has pursued their crosstown rivals in a number of advertisements that tout the benefits of steel over aluminum.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News.

The company says the 2019 Silverado will be lighter than the current model with a high-strength steel bed. The move is expected to cut weight while allowing owners to get the most out of the bed. Moving further back, the Silverado eschews the budging fenders flares of its predecessor for new bodywork which incorporates gentle creases and strong character lines.

The terms "mixed materials" and "advanced manufacturing" were not defined by Chevrolet.

That's because the average transaction price for a truck is nearly $40,000, according to market research firm J.D. Power.

Note: We'll have a full photo gallery with more photos of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado soon. That's a complex casting, but it won't be made out of aluminum as in the Ford F-150. It is expected to offer improved fuel economy. At 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft. of torque, it delivers an EPA-estimated 16/22 city/highway mpg. This is the 2019 Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss. According to Chevrolet, those trucks set the standard for pickup design in their eras, and are some of the most coveted vintage trucks on the market today.

Oh, and the Silverado finally loses the squared-off wheel openings seen in the current model.

The grille is big and bold, with a double black crossbar and smaller horizontal chrome bars.

"That gave the trucks a real presence and a very identifiable look", Chevrolet Spokesman Tom Wilkinson told us in late 2015. "Its the ideal ending to our Centennial - and flawless kick off for the next 100 years of Chevy Trucks". It is one of eight trims that will be available across the 2019 Silverado lineup.

Chevrolet released a sneak peek of its all-new 2019 Silverado pickup on Saturday, ahead of its public debut at the Detroit auto show in January.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

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